Are the DA/SA pistols staging a comeback??

I certainly hope so. I have yet to shoot a striker fired gun that has a trigger I like. Tease me all you will, as a guy new to carrying I also really appreciate the extra security of that first shot being a harder longer pull.
I haven't read the articles yet but I'll try and do that during breaks at work today. Also I've been around long enough, barely, to know that trends go in cycles. Eventually this would happen.

I don't know if it is wide-spread, but there is some movement back to the DA/SA guns as commented in the Lucky Gunner article/video. I think the bell curve graph he shows in the video is a good illustration.

I've followed Ernest Langdon's posts for the past couple of years as he's done some work with Beretta's PX4 line of pistols. There are a lot of smart folks that have read his writings and come to (re)understand the advantages a DA/SA gun can give in some, though admittedly not all situations. Of course, there are an awful lot of smart folks that just like striker guns or single action guns, and they aren't changing, so that's OK too.

Most of us spend a whole lot more time trying not to shoot something with our guns than shooting something with our guns. Having a heavier and longer first trigger pull and an exposed hammer that you can see, I believe, is an aid to not shooting something you don't want to shoot, like yourself, your bed, you couch, the wall, your kid that came home late from a date, etc.

View attachment 775179 I saw a segment on TV about a DA/SA compact .45acp from Springfield that would be interesting. For me they never went away

I wonder if it follows the increase in popularity of appendix carry.

Here's an Ernest Langdon article

http://www.recoilweb.com/double-action-auto-the-long-pull-122276.html

I don't think "comeback" is accurate because Chris Baker's thoughts are, and have been, pervasive with shooters in aggregate and this discussion isn't new. Both platforms are here to stay.

I have both, shoot both, & like both DA/SA & striker fired guns, but - in every case for me thus far - new shooters that I take to the range prefer DA/SA. (CZ, S&W 3rd gen, Beretta, SIG, Bersa, Walther, ...). And I mean STRONGLY prefer.

What they really like is the SA, but the initial DA pull doesn’t bother them. They are different animals, but either can be learned and shot well.

I prefer DA/SA pistols. This quote from Langdon describes what helped me tremendously with the DA pull. Instead of trying to anticipate the break, I trained to get on target and use a deliberate stroke. Once I figured that out, my accuracy on the DA pull improved by leaps and bounds.

"The key is to pull through the double action trigger at a constant speed. It can be very fast, but it needs to be consistent. The trap that many DA Auto shooters fall into is trying to finish the DA pull by speeding up at the end. We start to pull the trigger smoothly and consistently, and then try to accelerate at the end of the pull to finish and get to the shot. For proper double-action trigger control, you want to focus on stroking the trigger. Keep a constant, consistent speed."

Most people including LEO these days do not train enough to master the DA/SA pull and its transition. IMHO. It is a great platform but you have to learn to run that gun. It requires a different sort of training then a DAO striker. Both platforms have their pluses and minuses. I personally do not see a trend back to DA/SA guns no matter what a 2016 article states. In fact I see more companies like HK and Sig developing more striker fired guns.

Lots of people who shoot DA/SA have not really mastered the platform. When I am at the range most people I see shooting DA/SA guns are almost never firing the gun in DA. 99% of the time they are shooting the DA pull in a 1-15 ratio. They are only shooting the DA pull on the first round. They get that first DA round somewhere on the target and then blast away the rest of the mag in SA. Put them under stress and that DA pull will not be consistent. IMHO YMMV

Aside from competition shooting, it's the large number of guns appearing in the secondary market place as used Police turn ins over the last few years, along with foreign imports which are frequently DA/SA. Now add a backlash of buyers who are pretty much worn out over another black plastic Glock copy and who are looking for something "not plastic" and different.

If they own a few of the lower priced models they are ready to step up the extra $150 to all metal and that means a lot more DA/SA. Not to forget that there are lots of 1911's out there, but that is it's own issue, if you don't want SA 1911, you move to DA/SA which is more represented.

It's both nostalgic, opportunism, and being jaded with what is "popular."

BTW, since 3Gen S&W's have risen in price some are now buying up the Ruger P89. You get a lot for your money.

I prefer consistency shot to shot but if you want a a single action feel from a striker fired gun all you have to do is slowly release the trigger after you shoot and stop as soon as it resets. Don't release it all the way. The pull on your next shot will be much shorter and generally more accurate. No it's not practical in a stress situation but it should tighten your groups at the range.

I left DA in my past 12 years ago. Don't care to go back, though I may shoot a 1911 occasionally out of nostalgia.3 words for those who "don't feel safe" with the triggers on striker pistols: 1- Training 2- Trigger Discipline.

Tirod said:

It's both nostalgic, opportunism, and being jaded with what is "popular."

BTW, since 3Gen S&W's have risen in price some are now buying up the Ruger P89. You get a lot for your money.

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I love my old P85 for what it is. A solid, reliable brick that's easy to shoot. A great truck gun. Any modern plastic fantastic has that thing beat by a mile for carry and ease of use though. I agree that the only way a gun like that sees any new demand is for the reasons I mentioned, nostalgia and being just plain tired of what's popular. It's all fun and good.

People have different preferences, so I don't think any platform is going away. Some will be more popular than others of course. For people who enjoy shooting it's nice to shoot different types of guns.

NRA publication January-2018 issue of Shooting Illustrated " Hammer Time Springfield went back in time a bit with its new, DA/SA, hammer-fired XD-E to make a pistol perfect for appendix carry". The resulting handgun exceeded expectations.

The author notes competitive shooters(DA/SA steel framed handguns being heavier in weight than polymer frame, DA first shot "lousy" than great SA trigger press follow up shots thus an advantage over striker fired pistols such as Glock and etc.) and or appendix concealed carriers market share that Springfield is addressing.

From personal experience with the SIG P220 and the S&W 4506 Gen3,I'm not that enthusiastic about/with the DA/SA trigger system.

I did not acquire a Glock until Gen3 then went with a G17 - G19 & G21. When S&W came out with the MP I waited for a period of time before acquiring a MP9 & 9c Gen1. Both MP series pistols were modified with the Apex Duty/Carry triggering system.

I'm satisfied with the S&W MP9 & 9c and do not foresee a Springfield XD-E in the future

IPSC rules favor the SA/DA over Glock for Production Division.
USPSA shooters are learning the advantages and the CZ - TZ guns are gaining popularity.

My house gun is a DA/SA, I consider it a reasonable level of readiness for a gun to be grabbed in a hurry. But I compete with a 1911 or striker gun.

From another perspective...

3 words for those who "can't deal with two trigger pulls on DA/SA guns" : 1- Training 2- Trigger Discipline.

I'm not trying to convince anybody that any type of action is the perfect design, but if you can't see there is an advantage to different actions for different reasons, you're not looking at the situation with an open mind.

Come back? Come back from where? I didn't know they left.

Jim Watson said:

My house gun is a DA/SA, I consider it a reasonable level of readiness for a gun to be grabbed in a hurry. But I compete with a 1911 or striker gun.

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^^^ This. Different guns are better for different purposes. I own SA, DA, DA/SA, and striker-fired guns and each one has the best possible operating characteristics for its intended purpose.

JTQ said:

From another perspective...

3 words for those who "can't deal with two trigger pulls on DA/SA guns" : 1- Training 2- Trigger Discipline.

I'm not trying to convince anybody that any type of action is the perfect design, but if you can't see there is an advantage to different actions for different reasons, you're not looking at the situation with an open mind.

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Apparently S&W has moved on as they will no longer produce on order DA/SA metal framed semiautomatic pistol for law enforcement agency customers. S&W did move on with the SW99 collaboration with Walther. My example of the S&W99-45ACP has three trigger positions. Then S&W moved on from the SW99 to the current MP series. Apparently they being S&W were not astute enough to see the advantages of the DA/SA.

The first semi-auto pistol I had was a Star that I didn't keep very long or shoot very much. The second is an old Ruger P-series. It & an old Dan Wesson revolver were what I had when I got serious about learning to shoot a handgun. After I got an XD I moved away from it. I shot the XD better & I didn't like the frame mounted safety. The thing is I kind of find myself lusting after a Sig DA/SA. So I've dug the old Ruger out. I shot it for the first time in a really long time a while back. I'm thinking about spending some quality time with it before I make a final decision on whether I want another DA/SA or not. I really find myself wishing I had bought the decocker only version. Of course I didn't even know what that was then.

I think it's simply the market finding a new equilibrium. There are good things and bad things about almost any particular method of operation. Depending on individual preferences, practices, amount of training, etc., those good and bad things will net out differently for different people.

For a little while, that Austrian company was managing to convince a LOT of people that their particular method of operation was "perfection," and that any perceived downside was due to the lack of perfection by users!

It's now a more mature marketplace where people are making more individualized determinations about what is best for them.

JohnBiltz said:

I wonder if it follows the increase in popularity of appendix carry.

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This is a really good point.

the only system I would feel comfortable with AIWB is a DA/SA, DA revolver or SA revolver.

As it happens I have been carrying appendix with a Sig P239 for a few weeks and it works pretty well.
Holster is from T-Rex Arms.

FL-NC said:

I left DA in my past 12 years ago. Don't care to go back, though I may shoot a 1911 occasionally out of nostalgia.3 words for those who "don't feel safe" with the triggers on striker pistols: 1- Training 2- Trigger Discipline.

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Would add: 3 - Good holster